MOSCOW

Three Russian pilots have been returned from captivity in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"As a result of a difficult negotiation process, three Russian servicemen – pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces who were in mortal danger in captivity— were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," said a ministry statement.

The servicemen are getting necessary medical and psychological assistance and will be transported to medical and rehabilitation centers, it added.

The last prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place on April 16, with the two countries announcing swaps from the ongoing 14-month conflict on a monthly basis.